Painful Destiny
by GP Mihoshi
Summary: When the boys meet a young maid whos grief is eating away at her from the inside, what happens when they find out the truth?


S he was never really popular. Always stumbling about somewhere with a stupid grin on her face, her dark black/blue hair hanging like rags over her grey-black eyes. Although she was likable, she just wasn't the type to hang out with. She was a maid, and a clumsy one too. She was quiet and even  
  
though the master of the house was kind, she never talked or joked with any of the others.  
  
There was something drawing about the girl, but then again, something that just pushed people away, it was as if she didn't care what they tought. She had to reside in the mansion, even though most had seperate homes. She was too young to own her own house, and she had no parents.They had died when she was fourteen, leaving her to care for herself, thats why she took up this job.  
  
Her only friend was the brown haired maid who roomed with her, she was a year older then her and had light brown hair, often pulled back in a pony tail or in a braid. She, unlike this girl, took pride in her looks, kept the hair out of her eyes and off of her face, but she was not vain. Often one of the masters friends would flirt with her, and she would respond with a poliet, but firm 'no' and hurry off to clean somewhere else, leaving the girl alone with the jesting boys. They didn't bother her, she moved like a shadow from place to place, dressed in the short black dress, the only one she had.  
  
Like everything else she owned, she only had one name, and it was as bleak and dreary as everything else. "Slate." She could no longer bear the name her parents had given her, it hurt too much, so when she went out for the job, she went out as 'Slate.'  
  
She sighed and sat down at the small table in the basement, it was time for her break. She did not want to talk to her ever cheerful friend, Sill, she would surely be complaining about the Masters friend again. All four of them had been over the whole week, and one has constantly bothered her.  
  
"Honestly Slate! I don't see why he thinks he so cool! That silly braid and those crazy grins would never win me over!" she would say. It had been like that the past three days. She was not jealous, she knew by now that romance was not a part of her life. How could it be? She hides her face under layers of hair, her smile always so fake and so dismal. She looked like death itself. She sighed, resting her head in her hands, she would cry, she was depressed enough, angry enough, although she never knew what she was angry about, but she had already cried all she could, now it seemed she could never express emotion. She always smiled, just to please people, they always seemed to notice if she frowned, or if tears fell, so to become part of the background.. she grinned, it might look sad, if you looked long enough, and you might realize how the girl felt, if you coaxed her into talking long enough, like Sill did.  
  
Sill knew, she always would, that the smile the girl wore was just an mask that helped her hide the sorrow. Slate's soft cold pink lips were all that really showed under the mess of untamed bangs, although sharp glances when she was angry could sometimes show the frightning grey-black eyes that held so much emotion.  
  
Sill was walking down the hall, sighing as she went. Her friend was troubled, she was always sad, although sometimes she could get her to smile, not the fake grin, but a true smile, they were like sisters.  
  
Yet something was wrong, now not even she could get more then one word out of the thinning girl. She had not eaten. She wondered if she should consult the Master of the house on this. She sighed and passed his room, his friends were no where insight, after all it was too late for them to be up.  
  
"Master Winner.." she bleeted, standing outside his room.  
  
"Oh, Sill come in. " he said, she walked in and sat down on a chair, looking at his neatly organized desk. He turned and started working on a paper. "So what is on your mind, rarely it is that a maid comes just to admire me, or atleast not when my friends are here..." he said and looked at her. It was true, most of the maids were bubbly young girls who loved the master and his friends, even if none of them responded to their feelings (,except for the braided one, whenever he was not flirting with Sill herself).  
  
"It is my friend,Slate," Sill said, "You may not know her, although she is the only maid who lives here, save myself.. She seems so depressed, and I know you probally never see her, always working in the shadows and becoming one herself and such, and she is always grinning anyway, so noone will bother her. She has always been like this, I know, but she seems to be getting worse."  
  
"I have heard of her, " he remarked, "Many maids do look down on her, I am glad she has a friend."  
  
"Hai, I am her only one.." Sill said. "I have seen her too.. although it is hard to, but my friends, or some of them have been known to be able to hide like her, although not constantly.. and never while they cleaned or cooked, if they ever do. I have tried to talk to her.. she is quite strange , the only thing I got out of her were, 'yes sir,' 'no,sir' or a nod of the head.. I guess I should go talk to her, do you know where she is?" Sill blushed she did not think of that, her friend often ran off to some scarced place where she would be alone.  
  
"Sorry sir, I do not know where she went.. she ran off by herself again." Sill said. Quatre sighed and stood up, "I will look downstairs, you check upstairs.. call me when you find her." he said and walked out and downsairs. Sill set out across the empty halls when she was stoped by the braided boy.  
  
" Excuse me sir." she said and tried to pass him when he steped in her way. "Whats with this sir stuff. Call me Duo, babe." he said. "Im sorry Duo- babe, but I have to look for my friend." she said and pushed past him. "WAIT! I'll come too!" he called and ran after her.  
  
Slate sighed as she lifted her head to the sound of echoing footsteps down the basement stairs.  
  
The light turned on and Slate had to focus her eyes to the blinding glow. "Is that you Miss Slate?" came a kind voice as she turned to look at him. "Yes, sir" she said meekly. The blonde boy sat next to her. "What are you doing down here all alone?" he asked as he sat down next to her.  
  
"Sleeping, sir." she replied. "Shouldn't you be..." he said and she jumped up. "Working, sir? Im sorry, sir, I did not realize my break was over!"she said. "No..I mean upstairs, doing something more enjoyable?" he said. "enjoyable sir?" she said and sat down. Closing her eyes when she felt it rise into her chest.  
  
'No, not now.. please not now,' she plead to herself. She ran over to the old sink as Quatre looked over at her, she couldn't help it, if he thought she were sick or not. She pushed her hair away from he face, her face pale and haunting seemed to cast a glow, her slate eyes widen with pain as the blood began to flow, from her mouth and from her nose the red liquid gushed. This was the pain she carried, she wouldn't let it out right so it came out on painful bursts like this one. She coughed, her throat growing coarse with the pain. Quatre stood up and wathced, afraid of the violent coughs and bloody hacks of the girl.  
  
"Whats wrong?" he said. She didn't look up, she had finshed, closig her eyes she stoped the possiable tears that might come after such a thing, and she pushed the hair back over her face. "Nothing, sir, sorry for the mess.. I'll clean it right away." she said. He shook his head. "I'll get another maid to do it." he said as the girl stood up and nodded, "As you wish, sir." she said and walked upstairs.  
  
He blinked, and walked after her. "What was that?" he said as she sat down at the piano in her room she had saved up to buy for the last year. It was old, its surface had many scratches and its keys a dulling yellow. She played lightly, the only song she knew.  
  
Quatre paused, she wasn't going to awnser. He sat down on the bench next to her and listened, the smile once again upon her cold lips. She looked like something out of a horror movie, a vampire perhaps. He shivered, the song was a sad, mournful song. He put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "Please... tell me." he said. She looked at him, the only way he could tell was her fingers had stopped playing and her head was turned towards him. He reached up to brush the bangs away from her face and she recoiled, standing up she sighed. "I have to get back to work.." she said and walked out. He stood up and went to find Sill, this was worth looking into.  
  
He found Sill harrassed by Duo in the hall. "I found her, and talked to her." Quatre said. Sill nodded, "what did she say?" she asked, worried. He looked at her, it was best if he did not mention the blood. "Nothing." he said, " she said she was fine.." He walked down the hall and sat in the dinning room. He sighed, he had not seen that much blood in a long time.. not since the war ended.. and he hadn't seen so much sorrow in one person for a long time.  
  
He sighed, how could something be so complex? He treats all his maids kindly, makes sure their feed when they're in the mansion, all of them were happy, or content with their surrondings, except for that girl, and if she was so hurt, and so sad, why didn't she cry?  
  
Wufei walked down the hall, his sword at his side, even if he didn't need it. He felt, rather then saw, something move in the shadows, raising a brow he turned to see a maid cleaning. He frowned, and looked at her, tapping her on the shoulder, she turned, a smile gracing her lips. He looked at her a long time before noddind. "You do not have to put such a phoney smile on to please me woman." he said and it dropped for a moment and she regained her posture. "I don't know what you mean sir." she said and continued cleaning. "Hnn, I thought Quatre took care of his maids.. you look so unhealthy, come with me, I am unsatisfied.." he said and grabbed her thin hand, "Were going to talk to Quatre." He began to pull her down the hall and she shook her head. "No! Please, we need not bother Master Winner over this! It is my own fault this way! Im sorry if my looks displease you!" she plead as he dragged her to the dinning room.  
  
"Winner! This is injustice! " he called, holding the girl infront of him. "Slate?" he said and stood up. "What is wrong Wufei?" "I thought you had integrity! Why is this girl so thin and unhappy!?" he said, "I thought you treated your workers well."  
  
"He does! Please, sir! I have to return to work!" she cried. "Listen to her voice Winner! Why is she so unhappy!?" Wufei demanded again, keeping a strong grasp on the girls arm. "I do not know why, she won't tell me." Quatre said. Wufei pulled her around and held her still by the shoulders. "Then tell me why you are unhappy." Wufei said to her. "It is nothing." she said. "Let me see your face.." he said and went to brush away her bangs, she felt the pressure in her chest rising again and she pushed him away, running to the kichen as she leaned over the sink and pushed her bangs back, the dark red liquid rising from her throat. She couldn't help it, the pain was too much. For the first time in two years she let tears mix with the blood. Wufei and Quatre ran after him, watching in fear. "Onna?" Wufei said and walked up to her as she rested her flush face against the cool counter, as tears fell, she had never bled like that twice a day, it became a normal once a day thing a when she was fifteen, and by sixteen she had it under control, now she felt worse, her hair was still brushed behind her ears, her cold grey eyes staring at the floor as she dried her tears, miserable.  
  
"I am sorry, Master Winner, I will clean it right away" she said and grabbed a rag and started to wipe away any extra blood that didn't make it in the sink. Wufei and Quatre stared at eachother as she turned to leave. She brushed her bangs back over her eyes.Wufei drew out his blade and put it to her back. "You tell me whats wrong or.." he said and she turned. "Or you'll what?" she said. He didn't have the heart to kill her, and the strange girl new that. He grabbed her arm and pulled the blade infront of her face. "I'll cut those bangs right off your face." he said. Sill came walking in and freaked, pushing him off the frail girl. "Leave Slate alone you creep!" she yelled and Wufei glared, his deep brown eyes flashing. "I did not do anything." "Slate just broke down into tears and she won't tell us why." Quatre said.  
  
"Is that true, Slate?" she said looking at the girl who was holding her arm, quivering slightly.  
  
"Yes.. And I am sorry I cried.. since my parents died.. for a long time all I could do was cry.. and you don't know.. how hard I wished that the pain would go away, it wasn't just my parents death, but other things.. I was so confused and all I could do was cry.. so I stopped, I never let the tears leak from my eyes, and I hid my face from the world and changed my name.." she said, "and the pain still didn't go away, so I locked it inside myself, and it sat there and ate away at me, only coming out when I start to..." she shook her head, and passed out, falling back into the arms of a boy behind her.  
  
He narrowed his persian blue eyes and growled, looking down at her. "What is this?" he said.  
  
Slate lay in her bed, the akward dreams she had each night filling her head. The demons.. demons from he past would stare at her, and wrap their hands arong her fragile neck and choke her, and she couldn't help but cry out in pain, even if it made them shriek with joy, and shivers of happinesse run down their spines. They don't stop until they draw blood, her mouth filling with the red fluid, as she strugles to get away. "Please.." she gasps as they laugh cruely, the claws of one digging into her skin and into the bones of her neck, eventually breaking through them, the splintering shards of bone scattering.  
  
Slate sat up, unaware of the six humans around her, her arms holding her neck as she looked around, her chest heaving. "Wh-Where am I?" she asked Sill, who was closest. "Your in our room." she said kindly. "What happened?" she asked. "You passed out," Wufei said, who was standing against the wall. "What are you doing here?" she asked and looked around the room at the Master and his friends. "We were worried." Quatre said. "I was hoping you would wake up like Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz, you know, like 'I had a crazy dream, and you were there, and you.." Duo said.  
  
They all let out agravaited groans and Wufei pulled Duo out of the room by his braid followed by two other boys.  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me that this happens?" Sill asked, pressing a had to her friends flushed face, or what was showing of it, "Now you've gone and got yourself sick." Slate didn't talk or move, watching the platnuim blonde boy next to her bed. "I am sorry sir.. If you want I will leave." she said weakly. "Why would I want you to leave?" he asked. "I will be a hassle, if I cannot get 'it' under control, what if it interferes with my work? I will be useless to you." she said. "Nonsense, " he said and put a hand on her shoulder, "lay back down, Sill, can I talk to Slate alone?" Sill nodded and walked out. "Why did you let yourself get like this?" he asked gently. Slate just shrugged and shook her head. "Are you all right?" he said and she nodded, "please.. just talk to me Slate." "About what?" "You! Your problems, why you have fits where you cough up blood." he said. "I'd rather not." she whispered. He went to brush the bangs away from her face and she pulled away. "Atleast let me see your face." he said. She shook her head, " I only show my face when I cough up the blood." she said. "Why?" Quatre asked. "Its part of my past.. part of the monster.." she said. "The monster?' he asked, but she was asleep. Her pale hands resting under her head, her light crimson lips parting to let out short breaths.. and thats when he saw them...  
  
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(Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Wizard of Oz.. )) 


End file.
